Those of us that know our biological parents and/or have biological children understand the blessings and curses of heredity. Allergies, bad eyes, and height challenges are all on my list of things I have regrettably inherited from my parents. Good teeth, youthful skin, and physical stamina are on the positive side of the ledger. But without going into the complexities of nature vs. nurture, there are things that I have received from my parents that probably don’t come from genes.

One of those things is generosity and a desire to help. I was brought up in a world where other people were often more important than ourselves, to the point where I consider that normal. That can be a stressor on relationships, friendships, and work life, but in the end I consider myself very blessed to have been influenced in this way.

An example of their dedication to others was recently featured in my hometown newspaper. The article does a great job of describing how my father contributed to making a dream come true, and I’m very proud of that, but the article does not say much about how my mom supported this effort, which at times became a higher priority than her. Traveling to the hinterlands of Kenya is not high on her desires, but she did it to support my dad.

Thanks mom. Thanks dad. I owe you much for what you have given me.